3906. 'And Rachel was jealous of her sister' means indignation that it was not being acknowledged as external truth was. This is clear from 'being jealous' as an expression of indignation - indignation because she was not bearing as Leah was; from the representation of 'Rachel' as interior truth, dealt with immediately above in 3905; and from the meaning of 'a sister', who in this case is Leah, as external truth - for 'Leah' means external truth, see 3793, 3819. The experience of those who are being regenerated is as follows: They come to know what internal truth is, but at first they do not acknowledge it with the kind of faith that results in their living according to it. For internal truths are joined to spiritual affection, and this cannot flow in until external truths are ready to correspond to internal truths.

[2] Take for example the internal truth that all good comes from the Lord and that no good exists which springs from man's proprium. This truth can be known when regeneration begins, but it cannot as yet be acknowledged in action as well as in faith since the acknowledgement of it in faith and action involves a discernment in the mind that that truth is indeed a truth and a desire in the heart for it to be a truth; and this is the situation whenever good is put into action. That acknowledgement also involves the discernment that good springing from the proprium inevitably entails self-regard, thus putting self before others, and as a consequence contempt for others and above all thoughts of merit for the good that one does. These faults are present in external truth before internal truth has been joined to it, and the two cannot be joined together until self-regard starts to wane and a regard for the neighbour begins to be felt. From this one may see what is meant by indignation that internal truth was not yet being acknowledged as external truth was.

3793. 'Rachel came with the flock' means the affection for interior truth belonging to the Church and to doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as the Church and also as doctrine, dealt with in 3767, 3768, 3783. To enable it to be known how 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth, let a brief statement be made about the matter: The natural, which 'Jacob' represents, consists of good and of truth; and within the natural, as within every single part in the human being, and indeed within the whole natural order, there ought to be a marriage of good and truth. Without this marriage nothing is produced, for every act of bringing forth and every effect is from that marriage. When he is born there is no marriage of good and truth within a person's natural because the human being, unlike other creatures, is not born into a condition where Divine order is present. It is true that good which goes with innocence and charity is present, flowing from the Lord in earliest childhood; but no truth is present to which that good may be coupled. As he advances in life this good which has been instilled by the Lord into a person in early childhood is drawn in towards the interior parts and kept there by the Lord so that it may serve to modify the states of life which he experiences subsequently. As a consequence without the good belonging to his infancy and early childhood the human being would be worse and more vicious than any wild animal. When that good belonging to earliest childhood is drawn inwards, evil in that case takes its place and enters the person's natural. Falsity then couples itself to that evil, and a joining together and so to speak a marriage of evil and falsity takes place with him. If a person is to be saved therefore, he has to be regenerated. Evil has to be removed and good instilled by the Lord. And in the measure that he receives good truth is instilled into him so that a coupling, or so to speak marriage, of good and truth takes place.

[2] These are the matters represented by Jacob and his two wives, Rachel and Leah. 'Jacob' now takes on the representation of natural good therefore, and 'Rachel' that of truth. But since all joining of truth to good is effected through affection, it is the affection for truth coupled to good that 'Rachel' represents. Furthermore the natural, like the rational, has an interior and an exterior. 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth. 'Laban', who is their father, represents a good that springs from a common stock, but is a parallel good, as has been stated. That good is the good which in the parallel line corresponds to the truth of the rational, which is 'Rebekah', 3012, 3013, 3077. Daughters descended from that good therefore represent affections existing within the natural, for these are like daughters fathered by that good. And because those affections are to be coupled to natural good they consequently represent affections for truth - the first representing the affection for interior truth, the second the affection for exterior truth.

[3] The regeneration of a person's natural is altogether like Jacob and Laban's two daughters, Rachel and Leah. Anyone therefore who can see and understand the internal sense of the Word sees this arcanum which has been disclosed to him, but no one else is able to see it except him in whom good and truth are present. No others, no matter how good a perception they may have of the things to do with personal life and life in society and may seem to be highly intelligent, are able to see and then to acknowledge anything at all of that arcanum. Indeed they do not know what good and truth are, for they imagine evil to be good, and falsity to be truth. For this reason the moment good is mentioned the idea of evil presents itself, and the moment truth is mentioned the idea of falsity does so. Consequently they perceive nothing of the things contained in the internal sense, but as soon as they hear anything of it darkness descends which extinguishes the light.